Posts by Robert Heffernan
280 posts • joined Monday 2nd July 2007 07:07 GMT
???
Try playing a DVD without installing a 3rd party app.
Primitive Food Replicator
It sounds to me like a very primitive form of a "Star Trek" style food replicator. Walk up to the machine, tell it what you want and within a short time you have your freshly assembled meal ready to go.
Heating the air
If at such high frequencies you loose power into heating the air, it makes me wonder how effective these frequencies will be for applications like high bandwidth communications between orbiting satellites and the moon or satellites in orbit around mars?
Easy Fix!!!
Duct Tape. Nuff said!
Museum
"Hopefully by then we'll have the space-faring capability to retrieve it and bring it home to take its well-earned place in a museum or suitable institute of learning."
I wish we could do that for Hubble, it's going to wind up a molten streak across some ocean floor. Not a very diginified way to go for something that has expanded out horizon so immensely.
Two identical computers??
Personally, for this type of application, both computers would be different architecture, different PCB layout, dIfferent component manufacturers and different vendors. The OS would also be different so that no matter the failure mode, there is no chance the spare computer could suffer the same fault.
There is a very real chance that both A and B computers were made side by side and the flash is from the same batch. If the flash is found to be defective then there is one computer with cactus flash and one suspect, a ticking time bomb.
Definately Possible
There is no reason why a manned mars mission couldn't be done with civilian off-the-shelf hardware.
Between SpaceX providing the capsule and launcher, and Bigelow providing an in-space habitat, and diving companies providing pressure suits for on-ground operations, it could all be done extremely cheaply and with little in the way of red-tape of the kind NASA had to go up against.
It would be EXTREMELY cheap in that what company isn't going to want the PR from having their gear used in the first manned mars shot. They will either be handing it over for free or throwing out any and all profit on said gear just for the priviledge.
Can you imagine Tito walking up to them plucky rovers on Mars, swapping out the batteries for a new set, giving the Solar panels a dust-off, spraying some Space WD-40 into the wheels to free them up and kicking it in the ass to get it moving again.
Re: Physical security of server room ?
I just started as one of three developers for a local company. The server room is a locked room that can be opened just by giving the door a good shove.
"Are all those CD's and DVD's of yours sat on top of of a pile of cassette tapes and vinyl?"
Umm, nope. I'm not that old, although as far as durable long term analog storage goes you can't beat vinyl. By now cassettes from that era would be muffled from the magnetic fields from the spooled tape bleeding together.
As has been said, the utopia of content downloads would be a win win for everyone but this is the real world and people don't have always on all-you-can-eat connections with megabits of bandwidth that is available 99.999% of the time. Until the day of ubiquous broadband for everyone worldwide there will always be a market for optical media.
As a side note, the reason Blu-Ray has largely failed to penetrate the market and render DVD obsolete is Sony's license fees and the high price of the media. 25gb of DVD-R is still WAY cheaper than a 25gb BD-R disk
Re: Death of optical
I can see USB optical drives as a benefit, definately easier to replace a USB than cracking the case.
I can also imagine Apple removing the optical drives, charging $0 less for the privelige and then making an Apple branded USB drive and charging a.shit-tonne for it because it's got an Apple logo on it
Death of optical
I seriously doubt the death of optical storage. Just looking at the amount of DVD amd BD media I have around my house. It's crazy to think that it will go away. Also for a cheap archival medium, you can't do much better than less than $0.05/Gb
Sure, ultra books or tablets don't have the drives but laptops, desktops and servers will still need them for years to come
Best look on patents I have seen.
I found a video the other day of a talk given by Nathan Siedle, founder and CEO of SparkFun electronics. It would have to have the BEST take on (in this case hardware but it will work just as well with software) patents I have seen. It's definitely worth a watch..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGhj_lLNtd0
30 Days?
In this modern era of the internet and always on services, there is no reason that the 30 day wait should even exist.
The automated dialing systems used in call centers should check the number to be dialled against the live DNCR, that way the moment someone adds their number to the register, the calls stop.
There is no technical reason they can't do it except for maybe the DNCR and the call centers don't want to pay an ongoing data fee for all that checking in which case they could download the current copy of the DNCR to their system which then checks every so many hours for changes then applies them to the local system.
Posted in Shh! Proxima Centauri can hear us!
USB Dongle SDR?
I wonder if using the right kind of setup, you could point an antenna at the moon and detect the reflected radio noise from the moon on one of the DVBT/SDR USB dongles?
Posted in Kim Dotcom shows off new mega service
@Psyx
" The recording industry could simply swamp Mega with take-down requests at the rate of a few thousand a day. Mega can either then comply and not be business-viable due to admin costs, or it'll sink. It's a technique that's been used before."
thats very true, if i was doing it i would provide a simple page for content owners to use that they can provide a link to illegally hosted content, some type of evidence that said file actually is infringing and a captcha so that you can be sure the page isnt being "abused" by spam bots, etc.
Posted in Kim Dotcom shows off new mega service
@Invidious Aardvark
"There's nothing to stop the user passing the key in the URL, I guess, except it seems a somewhat insecure method of transmitting your key. Encryption only works when your key is secret, if you're broadcasting it to the world every time you request a file then why bother encrypting at all?"
That's easy! It's just so that the file host (Kim Dot Com's new outfit) cannot read the file themselves, thus tunneling a nice new loop hole in the laws that Megaupload got slapped with. Since this new site has no way of reading the contents of the files, they cannot possibly ever know that the file uploaded contains copyrighted data.
It shifts ALL the burden of responsibility to the users of the service, you can store your files encrypted in the cloud, completely secure even if the servers are hacked or taken by the fuzz, or you can share a link with your friends that lets them download and decrypt the file.
I would assume that ALL the file encryption/decryption is done on the user's side, possibly in-browser through some javascript, so that there is no way at all that the original unencrypted data passes to the cloud server, that way there is no way that they could know what was just uploaded was infringing in some way.
I think it's a pretty clever and damn good service that will manage to skirt the law much to the annoyance of the FBI, RIAA, MPAA , etc
Re: 'Far, Far Away' records broken by new GALAXY
"How many other investments have returned such a bang for the government buck as has Hubble? The US Government deserves a hat tip for this one."
And the Hubble deserves a better fate than burning up in the upper atmosphere, it's one of the few things that really deserves to be returned to the earth upon completion of it's mission, to be displayed for all to see in the Smithsonian.
Sure, there would be a specially designed and build return system that needs to be launched but the cost of recovery would be well worth it for the inspiration and answers Hubble has provided over it's lifetime.
I would nudge the thing into an orbit much too close to the surface of the sun. Deal with it for good
Re: And they want to bring it to Linux ?!
Why not! The linux power users will find loads of these vulnerabilities and valve will be swamped with bug reports. The platform will have its security and stability improved across all platforms as a result.
The Unreal Engine bugs arent valves problem anyway, its upto the engine devs to fix those vulnerabilities
Re: @AC 20:30
I got an S3 (i am replying on it right now) and the maps on it are the best i ever used. I got a Tomtom for my bike and its crap compared to this phone. It gets a really fast lock, it can put up with a lot of city obstructions and it plotted me around some roadworks about 2 seconds after missing the closed turn.
Re: Bad Analysis
If someone can sneak into your facility and connect random gear to your network then you fail at security on several levels.
First the lack of security at a site, even a simple microswitch on a cabinet door alerting the control center of an unauthorised opening of an electrical cabinet is all it takes to thawte this type of attack. The controllers would know of any impending maintainance on a cabinet and could dispatch security and a technician to check the site as soon as the alarm goes off.
Secondly the lack of network access control. If your ultra secure and critical network allows random gear to be connected and have it just work with full access to everything then you have issues. I have wifi access to my home lan and i have a list of MAC addresses that are whitelisted, its not hard to configure. Being able to just plug in a piece of gear and have it work is just poor security.
Then the firewalls and vpn routing over the public internet. The only way to stop a Zero-Day exploit attack on critical infrastructre is an air gap. State sponsored actors will have the means to exploit unknown vulnerabilities on hardware and software. If they cant physically connect to it then they cant atrack it.
Smart, very smart!
I dont know, but i think critical infrastructure like the power grid for example should under no circumstances have its command and control systems connected to the damn internet.
Sure it's convenient and connectivity is cheap but the power grid is far to important to trust to anything less than a dedcated, encrypted, access controlled network that is completely isolated by firewalls and an airgap from the open internet.
That way you could *give* the hackers all the tech details they want, without the appropriate access control hardware and connection details the infornation is worth nothing
@Burch
I am an atheist, yet I have moral convictions. Just because I don't believe in the existence of some supreme being who created everything (I believe something exploded billions of years ago and everything since is a direct result of that) doesn't mean I don't have moral values and try to be the best person I can.
Posted in Queensland to appropriate household PV
Re: so what?
Problem being Queensland wants to rip the consumer off by not paying a 1:1 tarrif, more like for every kw/h generated they will pay 50% of the retail price the consumer pays for power.
Posted in Valve reiterates games hardware gambit
Re: It's whatever you're used to.
I have always been a KB/Mouse and Joystick guy (having been born and bred on the old C64/Atari joysticks of old) but I can't get the hang of these modern console controllers, mainly because the whole thing is backwards for me. I want the D-Pad and Buttons swapped so they are on the opposite side to where they are now.
Also, the Analog sticks are just too small and sensitive for accurate control for me. Boat loads of overshoot!
Gimme a KB/Mouse and i'll run circles around a console gamer ( cos it's easier to control strafing ;) )
Bolts eh?
While i am aware bolts are the workhorse of the fastening industry world wide and nothing will ever supplant them, it makes me wonder why they are used in this case?
I would think those "T" shaped pins that are pushed through a slot/hole combination, turned 90 degrees to fasten into a slight resess to capture the protruding pin would have been a better fit for this purpose. It would drastically cut down on EVA time as installation and removal take only seconds, are just as secure as bolts and more forgiving of alignment issues. You often find them made from plastic in some childrens toys that require basic assembly.
@Zmodem
Good idea for the debuff on stats, but they wouldn't need to make new models 30x smaller, they just do a scale on the models in memory... very cheap and easy to do.
Posted in NASA’s new lander CRASHES AND BURNS
Re: Armadillo?
FYI, try viewing the article on an Android device. There is no video at all. If i had seen it i wouldn't have posted the comment.
Posted in NASA’s new lander CRASHES AND BURNS
Armadillo?
To me, that looks like a lander based on Armadillo Aerospace's Pixel lander design.
I know they were doing some NASA work based on that design and the Armadillo site has been quiet since feb so i can imagine this is what they been upto. Plus the crane teathered tests are definately Armadillos style.
@phuzz
I tried a wax plug in a KNSU rocket motor to create a waterproof seal to stop the fuel inside the motor going bad from absorbing water from the air (KNSU rocket fuel is very hygroscopic)
I thought with the way the plug sat in the expansion end of the rocket nozzle it would have pushed out really easily with little pressure because the nozzle was made out of rammed bentonite clay.
When I fired the motor, the plug held firm and so did the nozzle, but the plug on the top end of the motor blew out like it was just sitting on there when I know for a fact it had a really great seal on the motor.
Honestly I as much as I think some kind of seal or rupture disk would help here, I am very concerned it won't blow out fast enough to avoid a CATO event.
Gabe!
For an ex Microsoftie, Gabe Newell has some serious stones. Not only is he vocal in the fact that Windows 8 may be a complete and utter disaster but he has the resources at his disposal to move his entire business over to Linux in a way that benefits gamers, the game developers and the linux community at large.
The bug fixes and optimization in the graphics stack helps everyone in the community with better performing apps and UI. When profiling the performance of games it can help find places in the linux kernel that are not as fast as they need to be so Valve can write kernel patches to speed up the games, meaning once those patches are put into the kernel tree the whole community benefits from a faster kernel.
The game developers win because through Steam, they can finally release games under Linux with a DRM stack that has worked out to be acceptable to both the developers and gamers, historically these types of DRM under Linux has been met with disdain from the linux community and their "open source" everything mantra. I appreciate the ideal of Open Source and I work with it a lot and have even released my code under the GPL in the past but some things need to remain closed. The great thing with games though is some of the better shops (iD software being the poster child here) GPL their game engines once they are no longer current and all the licensees of the technology no longer have active titles based on that engine. So the community does get access to the source just not right away.
Gamers win because they won't have to deal with the abomination that is Windows 8, they get access to a faster, less bloated OS that doesn't have to support large amounts of legacy cruft, the OS is free to use, and all those other Linux ideals that everyone holds to their hearts.
Steam on Linux may just push Linux over the edge into finally making some headway in the desktop space.
WTF?
Why Lockheed Martin? They are one of those massive pork barrel companies that while having some awesome engineers at their disposal, are so bloated and administration heavy that its surprising that they produce anything at all.
There are plenty of great engineering companies within Australia that given half the money Lockheed Martin want could take care of the whole project with negligable slips in time and cost (who are we kidding here, all projects like this slip. Just Lockheed Martin would slip billions beyond estimate and years beyond deadline)
Posted in BIG BOOBS banished from Linux kernel
Are you kidding me?
All this over the number "2976579765" !!!
What if the number was a valid and required initialization vector for a piece of hardware or something. Purile minds need to grow up and realise the world is not all sunshine and daisies out there and anyone who thinks this kind of thing shouldn't fly needs to go home to their mummy and hide behind her skirt some more because the clearly aren't ready for the real world.
Posted in Disable Gadgets NOW says Redmond
@h4rm0ny
I am a dev too, and like you, I like the idea of being able to develop for multiple platforms at once. Which is why having the same OS API layer between devices is a great idea.
The thing is, the UI layer should be specific to the device at hand. Touch on the desktop has never taken off because it's not suitable to the tasks required of a desktop system. People say it's because the support wasn't there. There has been touch support on the desktop for ages just no one wanted it because who wants to spend all day with their arms stretched out and leaving finger marks all over the screen when the keyboard and mouse is a much better user experience.
On a tablet or phone held in your hand, a touch based UI makes perfect sense. Which is why between the Desktop and the Phone/Tablet, you need to design a UI that works best for the platform.
Re: No Teeth
Being "former" doesn't mean a thing, there are always back-room handshakes between old friends. After all, it wouldn't be the first time there was some strategic job shuffling in order to take out a watchdog.
Posted in Build a bonkers hi-fi
@JeffyPooh
I'm with you!
Next thing you know these fools will be spending £500 on all gold passivated, oxygen free, triple shielded zero crosstalk HDMI cables because they can SEE the difference in the picture on their tv compared to a normal £25 cable.
Posted in Disable Gadgets NOW says Redmond
Kill off the crap
If Microsoft are killing off useless unloved windows features why is metro still in windows 8. There is so much I like about windows 8 just its all under the hood, the way they butchered the desktop and tacked on metro is what killed it for me.
They are so caught up in the whole idea of converging platforms they failed to realise that phones, tablets and the desktop are completely different things that need their own platform. You can commonise a lot between the phone and tablet but there is nothing common* between the tablet and desktop. Merging them is just plain dumb.
*Sure on some devices a common kernel and API layer will work but the UI definitely won't work.
No Teeth
A former Telstra executive heading up the organisation created to ensure compliance with the code. Well that's a smart idea! A major conflict of interest if you ask me
@Charles
Yes, we can do something about even the big ones. Once they have been detected and the computer simulations of the orbit tells us it is going to hit, a mission will be launched to move the thing out of the road. It may not be so dramatic as hollywood would have you believe but the USA would get such a huge global surge in support that the cost of the mission would be well worth it.
Aliens Invade
If Aliens invaded, I can see it now. The alien overlord will be standing there surrounded by his officers addressing his new planet's population. He will ask mockingly if there are any humans that think they can defeat him and his amarda.
There will be some murmuring, shuffling and some yelling as Bill Pullman, Jeff Goldblum and Will Smith get shoved unwillingly out into the open before the alien overlord.
History is written by the victor!
It's definitely a case of history being written by the victor. Commodore and MOS played such a huge part in the early days that the whole face of home computing would be vastly different if they didn't exist. Since Apple, Microsoft and Intel eventually surfaced and Commodore and MOS were killed off, they wern't able to cement their place in history because the victors are taking all the credit.
The current incumbents are really standing on the shoulders of giants.
Posted in DDR 4 sets the pace for fast memory
@Lockwood
No, it doesn't mean the 0Mb stick will return. What it does mean is this...
The CPU's memory controller will have X number of pathways running to one of the chips on the DIMM module, kinda like PCI-e lanes, each lane can transfer data from it's chip simultaneously. When you leave a socket unpopulated, the memory controller will have unused pathways sitting idle, lowering the transfer rate, reducing memory bandwidth.
Oh wow
The joke is the fact that Nobody in the crowd seems to be enjoying it even before the controversial bits. Whoever thought a dance track about software development was a great idea clearly needs to lay of the meth!
I feel sorry for the dancers having to perform to that abomination while the crowd just stares
Mechanical Apogee Detector
There is a Youtuber, Solidskateboards who built a mechanical apogee detector for his rockets that may work or help at least with launching at apogee, and it will not prematurely ignite due to wind and such...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldaHifNAxsg
@Dagg
Once again, there is that magic word that seems to get brandished around all too often these days, "Cost".
Who cares how much it bloody costs!!! I would much prefer to pay more for power and to truly have a clean non-polluting power supply that can provide enough capacity without having to rely on the varying output of wind, solar and tidal sources.
As you said, It's economic when it's subsidised by government nuclear weapons programs. Just because Australia doesn't have a nuclear weapons program doesn't mean that nuclear weapons programs can't subsidise our power plants. "Hey United States, Hey Russia, Hey China, We see you got a lot of weapons grade nuclear material you want to dispose of safely, you pay us lots of money and we will dispose of it for you safely in our shiny new power plants! We will send you back some nice safe low-radiation spent material for you to dispose of. You pay all shipping of course"
There are a few things that should be fully funded, irrespective of cost. Clean energy, health care, medical research, education, space exploration. It's the people waving price tags around slowing the progress of the human race!
Build More Nukes
I am a huge proponent of nuclear power. Australia could lead the way in safe, reliable, and cleaner reactor technology.
We are in a position to take the lessons learned from 3-Mile island, Chernobyl, and even Fukushima to ensure our reactors are first class and as safe as can possibly be designed for. Not only that but with the reactor outlined in the article, we could have other countrys pay us to dispose of their nuclear stockpiles and use it to generate our own power.
There will always be green hippy doom and gloom protesters opposed to it and even supporters will be wary if one was to be setup next door to them. The best place for them would be in remote isolated locations or even built underground for additional protection from natural disasters and extremists. You can't have a nuclear disaster if the reactor is already burried.
Re: Secret cargo?
The secret cargo this time was the ashes of James Doohan, Gordon Cooper, and 306 other people who are all still in orbit for the next year on the spent second stage of the Falcon 9
@Kain Preacher Re: @Simon Hobson
"Problems comes when some bean counter says no."
I agree!
When you start listening to bean counters in regards to infrastructure needs, you have failed.
The engineering company I work for is essentially run by the bank accountants, accountants don't know shit about general engineering, laser cutting and steel fabrication. All they see is jobs going out and money coming in. The don't see nor understand the need to replace tooling that still works even though the staff using said tooling are screaming out for new tools because they need to do 10x as much setup and loose parts to poor quality because the still working tools are worn drastically.
@Ben Tasker Re: Stinks
There is plenty of precedent around the world of evidence gathered in another country being used in legal proceedings.
The whole Kim Dot Com thing with the US authorities providing information to the NZ judicial system.
The Australian police informing the Bali police that a passenger on an incoming flight is carrying drugs.
All kinds of things like that. And if the Swedish officers arrived on Julian Assange's doorstep the UK constabulary would be there to ensure the Swedes were conducting themselves within UK, EU and international law that would be applicable.
In this day and age Jurisdiction just means a little more paperwork.
